Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/429

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THE ROGUE RIVER WARS. 411

were found next day, stripped naked and hung to trees, with their eyes picked out, and otherwise fearfully muti lated. In one part of the field was found a pile of ropes made of green bark of trees, with which John expected to have hnng all Smith s command.

The flight of the Indians when they had so great an advantage both of position and numbers, is to be attrib uted to alarm, lest a still larger force should be coming up, or to the fickle nature of the savage, or to both to gether. Chief John was a bolder, firmer, and stronger man mentally than any chief west of the Cascade moun tains. When dressed in civilized costume, he presented an appearance not very different from that of many a hard working farmer of Pennsylvania or Ohio of fifty years of age. His features were marked by that expression of grief, which is a common characteristic of savage coun tenances after youth is past, intensified in his case, no doubt, by disappointment at the. result of the war. In strong contrast to him was his son, who possessed no in dications of strength of any sort, and who had a lumpish, stolid face, devoid of any expression. Yet like his father, or in imitation of him, he on occasions displayed a desper ate courage worthy of the admiration of the United States military officers. Indians generally, however, after a valor ous onset, run away on the first sign of a turn in affairs favoring the enemy.

In the time occupied by the movements of the regulars, the volunteers had not been idle. Some companies whose time had expired were marched to Roseburg and dis charged, their places being taken by companies of second recruits, by order of the brigadier-general. Other com panies were still serving out the time of their enlistment, and even exceeding it. Captain Wallen s report shows that his company marched to Fort Lamerick at the meadows and back to Fort Leland, returning to the mead ows, leaving a detachment as escort on the road from